If They’re Not Useful, They’re not Effective.

Posted July 21, 2016

No matter what the occasion, be it a trade show, a conference or product launch, you know you're going to need some sort of medium to get your message out there as efficiently and cost effectively as possible.

Whatever you use – make sure it’s of value to your customer – give them something that is going to add to their life as well as get your marketing message across. Maybe a postcard or a flyer? Yeah…maybe not.

Why a Useful Promotional Product and NOT a Flyer.

When you are handed a flyer, you might look at it, but what happens then? Usually, they get tossed away pretty quickly. A promotional product is usually kept and keeps advertising for you for a long time to come. According to the Promotional Products Association International, promotional products are statistically proven to work:

8 in 10 consumers own at least one promotional product.

The main reason people keep a promotional tool is usefulness.

1 in 5 throw away promotional products when they don't want them anymore. This means that a percentage are finding their way into others' hands.

88% of people remember the advertiser on a promotional product they received in the last year

Are Promotional Pens worth considering?

Whether you are going to a trade show, event, launching a product, or simply going door-to-door, promotional pens are one of the best ways to get your ad into the right hands - literally. While a magazine ad or a flyer will be seen by some (for the briefest of moments), a promo tool that is useful is held onto by consumers, valued by customers and will therefore be seen by many more people over an extended period of time. The PPAI tells us that 91% of consumers keep promotional writing instruments in particular.

Even a regular promotional pen lets you put information in the hands of people who might otherwise never have heard of your brand, and carry that advertising forth into the world.

How is a Banner Pen Even Better?

While the wall calendar is incredibly popular according to PPAI research, there may be a way to get the best of both worlds. With a customized pull out banner pens, you can have a calendar, a pen, and a promotion for your business all in the hands and sitting on the desks of lots of potential customers.

There are lots of really useful ideas you can include on your banner pen to encourage customers to hang on to your pen for as long as possible, e.g. timetables or maps. If you have a particularly technical business, you can include a reference guide for people. The more useful your promotional banner pen is, the better. Usefulness is key, and with a banner pen, your usefulness quotient is far higher than other promotional products and advertising mediums.

The PPAI found that just sending promotional materials to people wasn't enough to increase goodwill towards their company. When they sent a promotional product that was somewhat useful, like a highlighter pen, goodwill went up by 16% over promo materials alone, but when they sent something truly useful, like a calculator (or a banner pen), goodwill increased by 34% more than promo materials alone.

The numbers bear out the usefulness of a promotional product that serves a purpose to increase awareness of your product and even increase business. The more useful your promotional product, the further your advertising spend will go, and the better the goodwill toward your company will be.

In summary, retractable banner pens can provide that all important ‘usefulness’ for your customers in three separate ways,

giving your potential clients a writing tool, which is one of the most used and kept promotional materials,

giving them more information in the form of a calendar, a reference guide, or whatever you choose, and

an advertisement for your company that will mean good will and more business for you!